Internal Processing
by StanaTorv
Summary: What was going through their minds. A collection of one shots for this season. New chapters up 4/8/11 'Last Call'
1. Chapter 1 Castle

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the thoughts in my head and the laptop in which I type them on. Castle is not mine, nor will it ever be. *sigh*

_AN: Hi everyone, it's been ages since I've written anything but after the season premiere my muse kicked in. most of you know that I'm not a huge fan of dialogue but I hope you will read this any way. It's sort of an inside look to how Castle dealt with coming back and his thoughts on it all and his hopes for the future. This is not betaed so all mistakes are mine. I do read over it quite a few times and as an English teacher to be, it's usually pretty grammatically correct. _

_***Spoilers for 3x01* **_

**Internal Processing**

Maybe not calling all summer wasn't a good idea after all. Beckett hated him, Ryan and Esposito hated him and even the Captain did too. Castle had to fix it somehow; but why did it take a conversation with his daughter about the exact same thing for him to realise his mistake? Then it dawned on him, it was his status as a 'mere male' in the world and it took a woman to pretty much point it out to him. Alexis; what would he do without her? And his mother? Why did it seem like the women in his life were ganging up on him? Then there was the matter of Gina. He was only going out with her as a knee-jerk reaction to Beckett being with Demming, and then only to find out that they broke up. Yep, he should have called. It would have made the summer a whole lot more bearable. Sure, Gina had her fine points, and by points he meant 'fine _ass_ets'. Dear God, he was shallow. So there he was, making a bet with Beckett to try and get back into her good graces after pretty much making her feel worthless the whole three months he was away. He saw the hurt in her eyes when she was interrogating him; he saw the jealousy. Why didn't he notice it before? He vowed to make it better. He wasn't going to stand there and see her miserable. Coffee, he'd start with coffee. She loved the stuff, it was their thing. Coffee made the universe spin. Ah, the universe, he was actually glad that Beckett didn't smack him when he made that comment. He was sure he had it coming; the ear pull was enough pain though. He just never knew what she would pull on him next.

Castle couldn't figure Beckett out. What wasn't she telling him? He knew she must have some pretty wild past if that club didn't phase her one iota. More spice for Nikki Heat. Perhaps the next book could be called _'Burning Heat'. _Naked girl on the front with fire surrounding her; exactly what the publishing company ordered. The more he gets to know Beckett, the more layers he unravels, and she must have more than most because Castle seems to be finding out more the longer he is with her. What he finds the most fascinating is how fast she can process information. She is the only person ever to keep up with his train of though. Kudos to Beckett.

Counterfeiting, whodathunkit? It always amazes him that the extent people go for greed. Sure, he has money and fame, but greed it the farthest thing from his mind. As a crime writer it is his job to understand the criminal mind and what possesses them to do the heinous things that they do, but even so, it still baffles him. Greed, love and betrayal are the three main things people kill for. Richard Castle has been betrayed, he has been in love and has been the victim of greed and all surrounding three different women. Perhaps an observing eye will help him out with his latest predicament. He is back together with his money-grabbing ex-wife/publisher but is only with her to make another woman jealous, a woman whom his feelings for run deeper than they ever have before. So why cause hurt to someone he cares about. Sure, she hurt him once, but not after the countless times she has forgiven him for upsetting her. Maybe when it's all over and they both see how stupid they have been will they realise what they've got in each other. They're like a pair of mismatched socks, they're different but it doesn't matter because they're comfortable.

She gave him her gun, that's got to mean something, right? They saved each others lives. Was she just returning the favour? By Chinese law they're indebted to one another for life. Just the way he likes it, it means he has even more of a reason to stick around. Castle likes working along side Beckett and the boys. It gives him a sense of worth and accomplishment. He feels as if he is doing something productive and rewarding. It's a challenge for him and he relishes in it daily. He knows Beckett loves her job and is amazingly good at it. This is why he is ecstatic when he wins the bet and gets to work with them all again. Maybe they did need the summer to figure out what they both wanted from each other. If the universe wants them to have a happy ending, then it will happen. He has decided to let it flow and let the universe do the walking and the planning. All in due time he figures. _'Que Sera, Sera. What will be, will be.'_

So they part ways for the first time since the last time, three months ago, with a promise, "See you tomorrow, Detective."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Castle."

He could only smile at the prospects that the coming year will hold.

_I hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think. I'm always up for a good TV debate about what the season will hold for us so feel free to drop me a line and I will get back to you in a timely manner. I'm thinking about writing another oneshot from Beckett's point of view if you're interested. _


	2. Chapter 2 Beckett

_So here we go, a second chapter has been added to this story, but told from Beckett's point of view instead. After watching it a second time, I could see the thoughts running through her mind. Her little smiles and faces that she would pull, ah amazing! A job well done by Stana, as always. Once again all mistakes are mine and I apologise if there are any glaring you in the face. So, without any further babbling I give you the second chapter. Enjoy!_

**Internal Processing**

_Chapter 2_

The world was off its axis, Beckett was sure of it. Perhaps it was the Vernal Equinox that Ryan was babbling about, or it could be just fate dealing her a bad lot of cards. Either way, since Ryan mentioned Castle, he seemed to be popping up everywhere; in conversation, in book stores and even at a crime scene. He just seemed to be following her, weaselling his way back into her life once again. Was she even ready to forgive him? The answer was a resounding no. What he did hurt her and she wasn't ready to deal with him yet. He didn't call, not even emailed or texted. She kind of understood why he wouldn't call her, but the boys. Ryan and Esposito were his 'guy' friends. They played _Halo_ together; she was just his muse.

Sitting across from Castle in the interrogation room just made Beckett even madder. She wanted to wring his neck, and him mentioning Demming like that, what even? He wouldn't have looked so shocked if he had bothered listening to what she had to say before he ran off with Gina three months ago. Gina; of course she was going to make a snippy comment about the woman. It was her prerogative, was it not? Then he called her on being jealous. Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, thy name is Katherine Beckett. She momentarily considered taking the Captain up on his offer to hold him for the night, but as hurt as she was, she just couldn't bring herself to treat him like a criminal. He did hold part of her heart after all.

Bless Lanie and her need to fix things. Every woman needs a best friend like her. She was there all summer and saw the pain and rejection that Castle caused. What Beckett wondered was why the good doctor didn't sort Castle out herself; she's a little bit protective that way. She knew Lanie would always be there for her, even if Castle wasn't.

Castle showing up to all her crime scenes was becoming a little bit annoying now. The nerve of the man; sure, he was just trying to help, but he was encroaching on her territory. _*69_; why hadn't she thought of that? Oh yeah, that's right, she had to go through proper police channels to ensure that no breach of evidence was found and the case would hold up in court. Why couldn't he do something orthodox for once in his life? But then, she supposed, he wouldn't be Richard Castle, mystery writer extraordinaire. She told him to leave, told him to drop the case and to go back to his perfect life. The man wouldn't budge, he just went on about the universe bringing them back together and that it was some sort of sign. Who was she to argue with the universe?

Maybe he could sense her reluctance for him to help out with the case, so the next day in strolled Castle and his traditional coffee that he brought for her. What was next, a bear claw? Beckett couldn't help but smile at his peace offering. Maybe that is why she took the bet with him; he was trying to mend the fences, now if Ryan and Esposito would cut him a little slack. Although, it was funny to see how defensive they got over her, their faces told Castle how they felt. It seemed to her that the little family that she had made at the precinct felt complete again, for the first time since the fourth of July holiday.

Was she going to let on that she made the counterfeiting connection before he did, and let him walk out of her life for good? Or was she going to let it play out, letting him believe that he won the bet, and in turn letting him back into her life? It was an easy choice, no one built theory together like they did, and no one worked as well together. Despite all their personal problems, she couldn't see her self working without him any more. They were two halves of a whole professionally, and even if they could never be together personally then at least she would see him in some capacity. Maybe he had something going with the whole 'universe' speech he gave her, maybe all they had to do was wait and it would all work out for them in the end. Whatever happened, she was ready to forgive him, because he was right, she could have called him.

Beckett did have one way of holding onto Castle for a little while longer; she needed an opportunity to save his life. He has a couple of life saving incidents over her and she needs to repay him. It's the only way to keep status quo. Lucky for them either that she gave him her spare gun or neither of them may be around.

Esposito ended up calling her on the bet she made with Castle, and he may speculate on the reasons why she did it, but only she knows why. Maybe all she wants to hear daily is "See you tomorrow." That is precisely what she got that day.

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_Well there you go folks, the season opener from Beckett's point of view. I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope to continue writing throughout this season, fingers crossed my muse doesn't go on hiatus again. Please read and review, I do love to hear your thoughts. Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter and put me on alert and favourited and stuff. I really appreciate it; it makes me want to continue to write. _


	3. Chapter 3 Esposito

_After a few people commented and wondered if I was going to continue this story with point of view's of other characters, I decided to give Esposito a go from the first episode to see what you guys thought and if you wanted me to keep going throughout the season. Hope you like it. _

Esposito sat at his desk watching Ryan try to balance the egg on its end. As futile as he figured the exercise was it was entertaining to watch. Beckett, as usual, wasn't amused. She hadn't been amused by much since Castle left at the start of summer. He wondered why all the problems with them all lately had started when Castle left. They all worked fine before him, so why couldn't they work as adhesively now when he was gone. Esposito supposed it was because the man had been so engrained in their lives for the last two annoyed him the most though, was that Castle hadn't even called once all summer. They were supposed to be 'bros', he had even called Castle his partner. Javier knew that Castle and Beckett had a bit of a misunderstanding and a falling out but did that include him and Ryan as well. Not even the Captain or Lanie had heard anything all summer.

Beckett said that Esposito and Ryan were pining over a lost girlfriend. Sometimes it sure felt like that; losing a bro was seemed to have a knack of popping up where it was least expected. Ryan should have shot him. Esposito was so glad that Beckett went in and grilled his ass; he deserved all he got and more. He also believed that Beckett should have put him in lock-up for the night; maybe then he would have a little retribution.

He could see Beckett wearing down to Castle's attempts at redeeming himself, but there was no way he was going to let him get away with it all that easily. He was going to make Castle earn his forgiveness. He also wouldn't pass up a little bribery from Castle to see if he was genuinely remorseful; the coffee machine did need a little repair work, it got hit hard over the summer nights were spent at the precinct by one and all.

Esposito called Beckett's bluff when she let Castle win the bet. He figured it was her way of saying thank you to him for saving her life, not that she would ever admit to that. It would be good to have Castle around again, although he was going to be weary of his actions around Beckett, she was like a sister to him, and nobody messes with his family and gets away with it.

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_Well there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. It's very hard to write something on your iPhone let me tell you that now. I'm laptopless until I buy a new one in December/January so I'm having to resort to my phone and work computer when I go back in just over a week._


	4. Chapter 4 Castle

_This episode was great for bringing more insight to the characters and what they believed. That, to me, is fundamental in understanding them a whole lot more. This was also the second episode in a row that someone has mentioned 'the universe' and its control over fate and what will happen. I find that really awesome because it is extra stuff to work with in dealing with the insights into their psyches. So here I give you the fourth chapter. __Spoilers for 3x02: He's dead, she's dead._

This case was the icing on the cake for Castle; murder, mystery and the unexplainable. It catered to every part of his imagination and it tested him in a whole new way. Not only did he have to deal with trying to help solve the case, but he had to contend with the skepticism from Beckett, Ryan and Esposito, but mainly Beckett. The fact that he believes in that sort of thing makes his life a little more interesting. He told Beckett about the prediction given to him that one day a beautiful woman would move into his loft and live there forever. Did he really believe that woman was really his mother that they were talking about? Or was it another woman that he would someday marry? Was it Gina? Gina brought along high maintenance and a massive dent in his credit card bill each month so maybe it was someone else. Only the universe knew the answer to that one.

Things looked like they were on the up for Castle when his mother walked in sporting a rather large diamond ring on her left hand. His excitement was short lived when Martha decided that she was going to break up with Chet. As much as he loved his mother, her living with him and Alexis was a little too much drama for him; says Richard Castle, Drama King. He had just about enough drama to last him for a while.

Castle has decided to alleviate much of the drama by getting back into his morning routine of bringing Beckett her coffee. It seemed to be one of the easiest way of getting back into her good graces. Castle also swore that by the close of the case Beckett was going to believe. Believe in fate, soul mates, fairies, unicorns and even the popular double rainbows. As he said to her, "If you don't believe in even the possibility of magic you'll never, ever find it." For her sake he wanted her to believe so that maybe one day she will find the happiness and magic in her life that she so desperately needs. He cares about her. How could he not? They saved each other's lives. The most devastating blow was when Martha came home and told him the news about Chet. A stroke. It's amazing how sudden these things can present themselves without people knowing. Castle knew he had to be their for his mother, it was a son's prerogative, he had to step up and provide comfort to a woman who has suffered so much heartache in her life.

Martha gave him a strong name. A name he was proud to bear. Unlike most people who changed their first name, he needed to change his middle and last, to distinguish who he was, to create an identity that he could call his own, a name that would indicate his own inner strength. Castle. He wondered what Penny said to Beckett about Alexander. Perhaps he shouldn't have changed his middle name. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. One day he will ask Beckett about the prediction she was given. For now though he was content in knowing that he had a hand in getting her to maybe have a bit more belief in things not explainable. She couldn't be Scully for the rest of her life.

_Well there is the first of the three chapters I have planned to write this week. Up next, Beckett. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Richard Castle is certainly an interesting man to get to know._

_Uploaded by Viktorija :) _


	5. Chapter 5 Beckett

**Chapter 5- Beckett**

_I hope you all liked my last chapter. This will be told a little differently. This one will dwell a little more on the actual case as well as Kate's point of view on what she believes and how it ties in with Castle. Thanks for reading. All mistakes are mine. I try to be as thorough with editing as possible. _

Kate Beckett was not a believer in the things that could not be explained. She was three years old when she stopped believing in Santa Claus, because the ever observant girl noticed that they had no chimney. As a detective she has to have hard evidence to prove that a suspect committed the crime, without it, the case will be lost in court and all her hard work would have been for nothing. This case with the dead psychic that supposedly 'predicted her own murder' baffled Kate; it wasn't the usual run of the mill type happenings. It was something else entirely and on top of that, she had Castle's gullibility of the situation to contend with as well. Being skeptical of things was what made her a great cop; she relied on her gut feelings to work things out.

This case was hard on Beckett; the connections she made were based on psychic predictions and that didn't sit well with her. Castle was pushing her to become a believer and it was the second time in as many weeks that someone had mentioned universe and its magical powers of controlling one's life; as if it knows what fate has in store for everyone. It had to be just another coincidence. To Beckett, there is no psychics, only research and guess work and a whole lot of coincidences coming together to make something work. She was so sure that the killer wrote the letter and sent it to the precinct; she just couldn't bring herself to think that maybe Castle was correct. She hated to admit when he was right.

The baffling prediction Penny gave Beckett gave her extra to consider. Who was this Alexander? He was supposed to be someone very important in her life and even save her life? Was that supposed to be literal or metaphoric? At that point in time she had not met anyone with the name of Alexander who fit that bill. The only ones she had met were lowlife criminals that she had put away. Why was she even considering the prediction? Perhaps it was Castle's way of getting into her head again; he had a way of worming his way back into her life without it registering on her radar. The only way she really knew it was there was when he was gone. Maybe he did have a point about this case; she was going to give him an inch by calling "_Mason's_", it was her way of letting herself trust him again.

Beckett couldn't believe the outcome of the case, a woman murdered two people, one for cheating and the other one because she believed that the psychic was going to tell the police about what she did to her husband. The reasons behind murder were always going to astound her. She didn't want to admit that her timeline was wrong and she didn't want to believe the psychic predicted her own murder. She hated being wrong, but she also hated being wrong about the unexplainable and her conversation with Castle was going so well until he had to ask about Alexander. Being the closet fangirl of Richard Castle she knew that his middle name was Edgar, but what shocked her was when he told her that he had changed it from Alexander at the time he changed his surname. Alexander; he truly was a great man and he had indeed saved her life and on more than one occasion, literally. Was he the right Alexander though? Was he going to save her life in more than one way? She needed more proof. For now she would have to be content with him bringing her a coffee daily and shadowing her for what could be described as the '_sluttiest NYPD book character ever written_.'

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_Well there is another chapter done. I hope you liked it. Please read and review. I love to hear your thoughts on what I write. Thank you to those people who have reviewed already and put this story on alerts and stuff. I greatly appreciate it. _


	6. Chapter 6 Martha

_Hi everyone, just a chapter update before Castle airs in about 14 hours. This is the last chapter in the 'He's dead, She's dead' episode. Hope you all enjoy it. _

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**Chapter 6- Martha **

Engagement, marriage; could she do it all again? Did she really love Chet at all to be able to commit to him for the rest of her life? He definitely gave her what she wanted at the time; passion, chemistry and romance, but for Martha it was never about love. She couldn't return the love he gave to her. She adored the ring that he gave her but maybe Richard was right, Chet wasn't the one that she was going to spend the rest of her life with. Yes, it was time to say goodbye to Chet.

The goodbye that she ended up giving Chet wasn't the one she had planned on. Devastated was the only way to describe how she was feeling over the sudden death of Chet. Guilt flooded her. Did she cause this by her indecisiveness? Was this fate's way of getting back at her for leading him on and not wanting to permanently commit to their relationship, commit to a man who worshiped the very ground that she walked on? According to his children, she was the love of his life. Why couldn't she bring herself to feel the same way? These admissions were not good for her mental health, she was just so glad she had her son to turn to for help. Although he had his own problems; most of which were directly related to the behaviour he had learnt from her, he was always there for her and for that she would be eternally grateful to him.

Chet's funeral was difficult, Martha didn't feel as if she deserved to give the eulogy. She knew she was shallow and was only in the relationship to act as a distraction from the rest of her life. She did give the eulogy and delivered it to the best of her ability with Richard by her side, comforting her with his mere presence. Yes, she had raised a good son despite everything. 

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_Well there you have it folks, a chapter from Martha's point of view. I hope I did her justice. If you feel so inclined to leave a review then please do so. _


	7. Chapter 7 Beckett

_Hi everyone. Sorry for not updating sooner. Real life has been a pain in the butt and life with no laptop is just that little bit harder. I'll try and catch up a whole bunch of chapters this week. Thanks for your lovely reviews. Keep them coming, they make me feel as if I'm doing a good job. Have no beta for this but as an English teacher- to be I ry my best to make this as gramatically accurate as possible. _

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**Chapter 7: Beckett**

What an emotional rollercoaster for Kate Beckett. First the explainable high when she was reunited with her training officer and then the massive down when she realised he went crooked. Her emotions went from one end of the spectrum to the other and she fought hard to keep those emotions in check.

This case had it all for Beckett's team; murder, secrets, theft, lies, hidden codes and hidden treasure. It should have been set on the high seas. Beckett knew she couldn't trust anyone; even Castle's "_spidey-sense_" couldn't make heads or tails of the clues. Not that she put any credence on that or anything.

When Royce showed up she was in shock. She was not expecting that at all. She was worried about what mischief he would get up to in the precinct with the boys. Can't trust boys and their stories. She didn't need any more depraved thoughts going through Castle's head.

Yeah, Royce was hard to resist. Beckett could never say no to him. He taught her so much; believed in her. So why did he have to go and betray the trust she had in him? Did he not know how much he meant to her? He brought her out of her shell when hr mom died. He was a father-figure to her; though she must have had some serious daddy issues as their relationship was far from platonic. Did he take advantage of her? _Maybe_. Did she let him? _Hell yes she did._ He was what she needed at the time. Now, she didn't need him at all. The people around her were there for her, and Kate was just starting to see that.

She couldn't turn Castle's invitation to go digging for the buried treasure down. The case was long and hard for all involved, but even more so for Beckett. She needed a good cathartic release, and digging for stolen jewels was just what the doctor ordered. She even gave him the biggest, sweatiest hug she could muster when they found the treasure. Poor Castle looked so despondent when Beckett told him that they had to give the jewels back. The hug would have to tide him over as a reward. Castle just had a way of making her feel that tiny bit better. Not that she would ever tell him that.

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_There is Beckett's thoughts on 3x03. Hope you all liked it. Castle's coming soon. _


	8. Chapter 8 Castle

_Here you go folks. A chapter on Castle's thoughts for 3x03. I wrote them both at the same time while I re-watched the episode. Hope you enjoy it. _

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******Chapter 8: Castle**

Breakfast in bed; what a way to start the day, only if his daughter didn't want a Vespa, that is. It was just another way to give him a daughter-induced heart attack. That's why he had to go to Beckett and ask why his daughter wanted that death trap on wheels, although he wasn't quite expecting that answer from her. A '94 Harley Soft tail. His imagination ran wild at the thought of Beckett done all done up in tight, black leather straddling that fine piece of machinery. Perhaps he should just get Alexis a pony. There was less chance of the male population thinking about his daughter the way he just imagined Beckett…or maybe he should just do what Jim Beckett threatened; send her to a Nunnery. No 'wild-child' phase going on there. Although, he did wonder how he was going to get those photos from Beckett without her finding out. That stuff was fuel and he needed it.

More fuel came when Royce, Beckett's old training officer-turned bounty hunter, showed up. Oh yeah, he'd get stories out of him. Royce looked like the sharing type.

Castle was wrong. Royce was not the sharing, caring type of guy that he had hoped? The way he treated Beckett, there would be serious hell to pay, and not just from Castle. By the looks on Ryan and Esposito's faces, Royce was a dead man. Kate Beckett was a special person to everyone that had the privilege of being close to. He hated seeing her so sad. It looked as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest when she took that phone call. It took all of his will not to go over to her and pull her close to him and wish all the pain away. Alas, he wasn't her boyfriends and it wasn't his place to do that for her. Not yet anyway.

Now, it was his place to make her smile, and he did that my inviting her on the reassure hunt. The smile on her face and the hug that she gave him when they found the treasure was thanks enough. More happiness came when Alexis came to the decision not to get the Vespa. He was going to postpone his daughter's 'wild-child' phase for a little while longer. It could be forgiven though if she turned out like Beckett in the end. No phase would be that bad.

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_Please leave a review if you rightly feel inclined to. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy. _


	9. Chapter 9 Castle

_AN: Hello everyone, I'm back with another chapter. I do actually hope to finish this before the start of season 4 so I'm setting myself a bit of a challenge. You all have to help me out and keep me on track and bug me if I get behind. _

_This chapter will be based upon episode 4- 'Punked'. This chapter is dedicated to __**MHoles **__who reminded me to get going on this again. _

**Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine. **

**Chapter 9- Castle**

Alexis was hiding something from him, and it was a big something. His baby girl was in love and he had to find out from his mother, of all people. He didn't know what to do; he was her 'go to' guy and for the first time in her life- that he knew of- she didn't confide in him. This was going to drive him insane until he found out exactly what was going on. Perhaps Beckett could shed some light on the matter, being of the female species and all that.

Nope, Beckett was of no help at all. She just made him more scared and basically told him to mind his own business. He couldn't do that; it was in his nature to snoop. To top it all off he had to find his daughter at home making out with her boyfriend on the couch. To be honest though, he did scare the absolute shit out of them. He found that mildly amusing, before the shock set in, that is. His little girl was kissing a boy on his couch; the though alone terrified him to pieces.

The next day when Alexis finally came to him and asked him, 'How do you know when you're in love?' threw him completely off his game. She didn't even wait for his response, he just stood there wide eyed in complete bafflement at the strange being that had recently possessed his sweet and innocent daughter and turned her into a love-crazed teenager. Beckett's answer to the same one posed by Alexis was so simple, so un-Beckett like. The woman surprised him on a daily basis. He was always learning something new about her; he just didn't know he would learn another big thing about her…and he was big.

Josh. Did he even have a last name? Maybe a guy of his size didn't need a last name. He towered over Rick, and Rick wasn't a small guy. It was just another reason for him to freak out, just when he thought he had a chance of winning Beckett over to his charms. He supposed it was inevitable really, he was still with Gina.

Despite all the personal drama, the murder case was an intriguing one. A Steam-Punk secret society, a duel, time travelling murderers, and didn't Beckett mention something about giant moths? Nah! He figured it was his overactive imagination running wild on him again. And poor Esposito, what had he done to piss of the Karma Fairy this time? The guy could not catch a break; beaten up by a thug, ran into by a homeless guy's shopping cart and barreled over by a murderer. Not a great few days at all.

Just another murder case at the 12th Precinct really; they'll all be back to do it all again the next time the phone rings.

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_AN: Only me again…just the one chapter for this episode. I thought it was definitely more Castle-centric than some of the others, although if you wanted I could do a piece from Esposito's POV if you all wanted. _

_Please R&R I love to hear your thoughts about my random musings._


	10. Chapter 10 Castle

**Based on episode 5- **_**"Anatomy of a Murder"**_

**Disclaimer: ****See previous chapters, nothing has changed **

**Oh totally off topic…but how epic was the **_**Fringe **_**season 3 final? OMG! There are too many emotions for me to come to grips with. I can't even imagine what Andrew Marlowe has in store for us with Castle. **

**Chapter 10- Castle**

It was strange to him that Alexis was going to get manicures, pedicures and massages with Gina; what was stranger was that his mother was going with them. He was always of the understanding that his mother hated Gina, especially seeing that she was his ex-wife-come-girlfriend. That even that sounded weird to him. It was also bizarre that Alexis, his baby girl was talking about having a song with her boyfriend, and that they were kissing. Shudders ran up his spine. He so did not want to think about that at all. The mention of _"You shook me all night long"_ was a definite comeback; see how his mother and Alexis like that one.

Trust Beckett to come up with a song for them; _"You talk too much"_ by Clarence Carter, really? That was a little mean, surely there had to be something better than that. The fact that the Taylor Swift tickets came in to him at the precinct stopped him from even concentrating on figuring out a better song. Alexis was going to love him even more than she did before, that he was sure of.

Castle had always been a fan of hospital dramas, whether it is _'Grey's Anatomy'_, _'ER'_ or even _'Scrubs'_ and _'MASH'._ When he found out that Motorcycle Boy was actually Doctor Motorcycle Boy, he was crushed. Yeah making waffles in the morning just wasn't as awesome as performing open heart surgery and saving someone's life. Way to make him feel useful, Beckett. To top it off, she had to turn up right at the moment where he was complaining to Ryan about the nurse not actually sleeping with the women he spent so much time listening to. What a great way to get Beckett offside with him again. That was not the attitude he wanted to get across to her at that particular time.

Castle's day just kept on getting worse; Gina stole his hero moment, as she bluntly put it to him. She got a hold of front row tickets and backstage passes for both Alexis and Ashley and he got mad. He was not having a good day at all; especially with the ladies. It was a complete turn-around from how he was a few years back, before he met Beckett and when he didn't think twice about picking up a random woman. Now, he was trying to get on the good side of one while trying to keep the other one from kicking him to the curb again. He wasn't sure which woman they each were though. Beckett and Gina…why was his life so complicated?

An up-side to Castle's fame was that he had fans in unlikely places. Cesar Calderon was one of the most unusual ones. A murderer and leader of a drug cartel; things never ceased to amaze him.

He loved that Beckett always was interested in Alexis. They didn't interact as much as he'd like, but she always made sure to ask him about her. He found it comforting knowing that his daughter had someone else that she could turn to if he wasn't around. She even stood up for Gina when he thought she had gone behind his back. Gina was right, he did build up walls around Alexis and they're both outsiders. He really did act like an ass, but he just wants his little girl for himself; sharing her with anyone is not really an option. So why doesn't he feel that way when Beckett intervenes?

'_The Galaxy of Greg'_ made Castle laugh but also found the whole thing endearing in a way. Nurse Greg went out of his way to concoct an elaborate plan to bust his girlfriend out of jail. His mother was right, that was true love. However, in her typical way, she turned it back on to him. Would he really be willing to break Gina out of jail? Would anyone break him out? Esposito sure wouldn't. Then Beckett surprised him; she would get him out. What did that all mean? She practically had to shake him out of his stupor to get him moving again. Kate Beckett was a mystery that he was going to solve one day and he hoped that their story got a happy ending. Gina was just a distraction for the moment until it gets written.

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**I'm trying to get these chapters done as fast as I can. I will get the whole season done by the start of season 4, hopefully. Feel free to kick me along if I'm going too slow****ly. **


	11. Chapter 11 Beckett

**Look two updates in two days! Hooray! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or is following this story. It means a great deal to me. This one is from episode six **_**'3xK'**_**. So without further ado I give you chapter eleven.**

**Side note: Someone next door is cooking bacon…it smells heavenly!**

**Chapter 11- Beckett**

A serial killer case was always the hardest, especially if they weren't caught the first time around. No one really knew what to expect. Despite the heaviness of the situation Beckett still had to tease Castle about the FBI profile of the killer being like him. _"Menial, low-paying job,"_ it was a low blow but he had it coming. She could dish it but she couldn't take it; no way did he want Castle to base the next book on Esposito, not that she'd tell him that.

When they brought in McCardle for questioning, Beckett was seriously grossed out. She had seen a lot of nasty things as her time as a police detective, but profuse sweating took the cake. Then he had to go and spray her with saliva as he spoke. She almost gagged. In a way she was glad that McCardle wasn't their guy, she didn't want to have to touch him when she arrested him. Even Castle seemed repulsed by him.

Beckett knew that her talk to the all the officers in their division was as much for her as it was for them. She had to rally them together to get this son of a bitch that was killing these women. She did what she had to do. That meant psyching out an inmate to get him to rat out Gates. Gates was one of the creepiest guys that she had ever interrogated, and she had interrogated a lot of people. The way that he looked at her was almost unnerving. No training at the academy could ever prepare her for a man like Gates. She just had to keep her cool and keep him from lawyering up. Montgomery liked setting her impossible tasks.

She knew that this case was getting to her when she actually had to ring Castle to ask if he had any theories. At that moment Beckett would have taken any crazy bit of speculation that he usually spurted. Even if he was a child on most occasions she relied on him to work through her own thoughts and ideas, and when they were both stuck, it was never a good thing.

When she arrested Gates and got the subsequent confession out of him she knew deep down that it was too easy. That's when Martha's call to her cemented the feeling. She had to find Castle and get him away from Jerry Tyson. She ran up the stairs to the motel to find her partner tied up on a chair. She didn't even realise that she had told him that she was glad he was ok. Jerry Tyson had let him and Ryan live.

A little later on she found Castle sitting by the pool and she wordlessly handed him a cup of coffee before sitting next to him. She understood the burden that he was feeling. Beckett knew that she had to comfort him and by showing her support by placing her hand on his knee was the only thing that she could think of. She focused her energy and poured it into the feeling of their joined hands. They would get through this…together.

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**Well there is Chapter 11. This is officially the longest piece of work that I have published. CRAZY! I'm so slack. Anyway, thanks for reading. Feel free to let me know what you think. **


	12. Chapter 12 Castle

**Sorry for the lack of updates for this but I seemed to have lost my motivation for it. I had a season 3 marathon yesterday and that spurred me on to take notes so that I could pump out a few chapte****r of this. Thanks for reading. **

**Episode 7: 'Almost Famous'**

**Chapter 12: Castle**

Richard Castle woke up at the ass crack of dawn to find his mother and daughter strengthening their vocal cords and abdominal breathing. Why anyone would do that so early was beyond him. It's one thing for Beckett to call him at that time of the morning when there was a body, but when it was his mother, it wasn't awesome at all. He was able to answer truthfully when Beckett did ring though.

"Don't be silly, of course I was up."

The reaction to the dead body not being a cop was one of relief. Surprise was added to that when they discovered that he was a stripper…with cheap tequila to boot. Everything that morning surprised Castle; especially that cake. Who knew that they made them in _that_ shape.

Every time that Castle watched Beckett in the interrogation room he was completely mesmerized by the woman. She had a way of dragging out the information without the suspect even realizing that she was doing it; that was a sure sign of a top detective.

So they were looking for a stripper with long, blonde hair: Road Trip! Castle never thought that if he and Beckett ever went to a strip club on the job it would be one full of screaming women ogling half naked men dancing on stage while shoving singles down their pants. It was just too weird for him; then the women flocked to him. Of course he was flattered; what man wouldn't be? Never before had he been so grateful when Beckett came looking for him. Speaking of Beckett; there was one woman who seemed at ease with her surroundings and attire. Castle didn't think that he would get the image of sexy!Beckett out of his head.

Male strippers confused Castle; he would never understand the whole oiling up and sun-tanning and putting on of a fake accent. Women were piranhas; he got the crazy fangirls enough when he did his book signings.

One thing he did love was weaving intricate stories and sucking people in and have them hanging on his every word. He seemed to thrive on it and Ryan and Esposito seemed to enjoy hearing the tales he told. Even Beckett looked hooked, not that she would ever admit to it.

Castle also loved his mother and even if he didn't tell her as often as he should, he did like to let her know that he appreciated everything she ever did for him. He understood that, as a single, working mother, she did the best she could with what she had. Martha made it work for them and Castle strived to do that for his daughter as well. Despite everything, their dysfunctional little family worked and they were all happy.

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**Yes, it's short and it probably sucked but I just wasn't feeling that episode. Let me know what you thought. Hopefully another three chapters will be up tonight. **


	13. Chapter 13 Beckett

**This episode had a little bit more for me to work with so I hope this makes up for the crap I posted the last chapter. **

**Episode 8: 'Murder most Fowl'**

**Chapter 13: Beckett**

Why Castle was prattling on about pets she'll never know, but when he asked her the weirdest pet she had ever owned, she couldn't resist answering 'you' to Castle. She loved teasing him and pulling his chain. If he was able to pull her pig-tails then she could return the favour.

Castle wanted her to see past the feather he was holding and twisting in his fingers and see the bigger story; see the drama. Between Castle and dead bodies there was enough drama in her life; she didn't want to see the story some days. Isn't that why Castle followed her around?

She felt sorry for 'Light bulb' Lenny; no one but his colleagues knew the amount of hard work he put into keeping the subway systems functioning and safe. They were right; he was a hero. She wondered how many other unsung heroes were out there each and every day not getting recognised for the work that they do. Kate knew that she had already been recognised for the work she had done; Castle was responsible for that. He made sure that the whole world knew just who she was. She may not like it, but she knows she just won't be a statistic if she ever died on the job.

Castle. He made her life interesting, what with his theories about a 'Light bulb conspiracy' and working with her side-by-side in interrogations, never once missing a beat. She hated to admit that working with him was fun.

This case they were working on wasn't about the birds as the crazy Mr. Singer suggested it was, but it was of something more sinister. Child abduction. Kidnapping always made Kate feel uneasy, but when there were children involved, her heart always skipped a few beats. After her first case with Will when they were too late, she was always even more determined to reunite the families. Montgomery put it right when he said, "The only thing that matters is finding that kid."

Tyler Donegal was twelve years old and Kate saw how hard his kidnapping was hitting Castle. She was genuinely worried about him. She couldn't imagine ever losing a child, even for a minute. It was in that moment when he told her about losing Alexis that she knew that hers wasn't the hardest profession in the world; being a parent was.

Everything about this case pointed to a custodial kidnapping, until they hauled in Tyler's father, Dean in. It was then that shit really hit the proverbial fan.

They needed to get Tyler before his kidnappers killed him and they needed to find out what they needed Dean for. Time was of the essence, and they were quickly running out of it.

Her and Castle found Tyler being held at gunpoint in a small room underneath the Canal and West Broadway subway tunnel. Kate knew there was no way of busting in without Tyler getting shot. Then they saw it; the kill switch that 'Light bulb' Lenny designed for the subways. Good on Len. He was about to save one more life.

Kate loves the reuniting of parents with their children. The relief and gratitude on their faces is all that she needs as recognition of her and her team's hard work. They may not be given medals for it; but the smiles are enough to keep her coming back for more.

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**Personally I like this chapter better than the last one. Let me know what you thought. It looks as if I may have another 3 chapters written by tonight. We'll see how I go. **


	14. Chapter 14 Castle

**So this is the last chapter of this for tonight. I have another few prepped by I have a few other ideas running through my head that I want to get out before I finish this off. **

**Episode 9: 'Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind'**

**Chapter 14****: Castle**

Doing the crossword in pen and discovering the word 'otherworldly' as one of the answers must have been a sign from the Universe. The latest body had been explosively decompressed. In Castle's mind, even though it was a horrible way to die, it was pretty awesome. Whistling the _X-Files_ theme seemed like the best course of action, especially when he found a copy of Barry Stryker's book about Close Encounters. Beckett didn't seem amused. She was an unbeliever of all things extraterrestrial; although, it was his goal to get her to believe. He was her Mulder to his Scully; she'd already proved that before when they had the case of the dead psychic who predicted her own death. At least the consolation prize was that Ryan was a believer.

They discovered that their victim, Marie Subbarao was doing NASA related work that required her to have access to an altitude; Castle didn't feel like hopping into one of those without the protective clothing. He didn't feel like having his lungs expand so much that they explode. He'd prefer that with the view of outer space if it had to happen to him at all.

The murder board was always good for his story-telling muse. It helped him weave his tales while keeping the details in order. This case, he was all for the alien abductions. Beckett hated the idea of 'beaming up' and 'probing'; what was that she said about the Lego up her nose? He'd have to dig further into that story.

As cool as the whole 'extraterrestrial' thing was, it was marred by the fact that he had to meet Ashley's parents…alone…with his mother. Why he let Alexis talk him into that, he'll never know. He just couldn't say no do his daughter's puppy dog eyes and cute little pout. He would have to come up with 'serious conversation topics'; he didn't do serious. Once again Beckett shocked him by answering his question on 'Default Spending' with surprising insight. Another layer of the Beckett peeled back to reveal a little more.

The dinner started off rather stiff, especially when Ashley's father described fiction writing as "crass and tawdry" although he was able to swing his opinion of his writing when he described it as "character studies; an insight into the human mind." Apparently, the real sway wasn't until he had to excuse himself quickly when he had a breakthrough in the case; they thought he was 'fascinating.' Thanks to that, he had to endure camping with them as well.

Castle was finally right for once; there was government agents involved with this case. After being abducted by the 'Men in Black' themselves, his and Beckett's week was almost as big as their victim's. What was it with abductions and bright, shining lights and not to mention the injections that made it look like they had hickeys? At least Beckett had a turtleneck to change into; he was stuck with the unsightly mark until it went away. He figured that while he was being 'interrogated' by the suited man, he would give them a little hell; if they really were shape-shifting aliens, he would annoy them until they changed.

So they found the evidence they needed to finally work out why they were abducted inside of a Jefferson Starship album; New York was definitely built on rock and roll, so he found it fitting. He had to bite his tongue though when Beckett told him to "stick it in and get it over with". There was a 'That's what she said' waiting to be let out, but he let Beckett's maturity guide him. He didn't think she'd be as amused as he was.

Castle's patience was also paying off; Beckett was starting to believe- or conceding, as she put it. He could tell she felt weird when she picked up the box of bugs and spoke into it; it was definitely not a 'Beckett' thing to do.

He was very excited when he and Beckett were chasing down their suspect and he got to use his Mandarin on some Chinese workers. Thank you Firefly! Castle also tried to be as bad ass as Ryan when he thought there was a cyanide capsule in the man's mouth; note to self- gum is not cyanide.

Castle loved it when Beckett teased him; he knew she would never tell him what she was told by the agent- if she was told anything at all. It was their thing; she's let him keep guessing and he would keep coming up with suggestions. It would go on for weeks and he loved it.

**So there you have it. Hope you enjoyed it. ****I really loved this episode; it was great! I love going back and re-watching the episodes.**


	15. Chapter 15 Castle

******This is the chapter for 'The Last Call'-Oh and I'm going to plug my own one-shot here. I wrote a small thing that filled in the missing scene from when Kate was at home just before she was called by Castle to head down to the Old Haunt. It's called 'Castle Interruptus.' Go check it out if you so choose.**

**Can't say I'm a huge fan with how this one turned out. It took me too long to write it, which means that it didn't flow from my brain as easily as I had hoped. Sorry about that.**

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**Chapter 15: Castle**

Castle was busy typing away on his laptop, his inspiration hitting him at a blistering pace. He was stopped when Alexis came bounding in wearing her old grade school t-shirt. Green- it made her look like a Leprechaun. Not that he would ever tell her that; he decided it would be better to stick with the Incredible Hulk. Castle was even more shocked when Alexis' friend arrived at the door. Maybe Beckett would know why kids these days look like they were assimilated by the overlords.

Pulling a body out of the east river just emphasized why no one should ever swim there; and what was it with no one getting the _Jaws _reference? Did no one watch movies, or were they just too busy ignoring him?

When they discovered that the deceased owned the 'Old Haunt', Castle was excited. It was the bar that he penned his first novel; his picture was still up over the booth that he used to sit in. The 'Old Haunt' was one of the dying breeds of bars in New York City. And having Beckett pop 'just one more button' was the icing on the cake for him that day; well, that and having her call him adorable.

Ok, he lied; the best thing about going back to the 'Old Haunt' was discovering that it had a basement that had been turned into an office. It was most definitely an awesome place for a murder; no one could hear you scream.

Finding out that the murder weapon was a scotch that dated back to 1875, Castle knew it was something worth killing over, especially if it was the only bottle available. It kind of lost all meaning and turned to greed when they found out that it wasn't the last bottle of its kind. Having that _kid _mix the finest scotch with root beer made Castle want to kill him as well. It took all his self-control no to throttle the kid.

That secret passageway that led him and Beckett under the streets of New York was super amazing. It was if those sets of tunnels disappeared from history. Only by going back into the record books did they find out where the tunnels intersected; from there, the killer was easy to find. Auctioneers, he wouldn't trust them ever again.

Castle couldn't bear seeing the 'Old Haunt' be bought out by the franchises, so he handed over the money and purchased the place for himself. No longer would it just be a writer's bar, but it was for the police officers that he was proud to call friends and colleagues. The icing on the cake was when Montgomery allowed him to buy his own bottle of the vintage scotch. He couldn't think of a better christening of his own bar than sharing the bottle with the Captain, the boys and most importantly, Beckett.

"_It's nine o'clock on a Saturday night, the regular crowd shuffles in. There's an old man sitting next to me, making love to his tonic and gin. He says 'Son, can you play me a memory? I'm not really sure how it goes; it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete when I wore a younger man's clothes'. So sing us a song, you're the piano man. Sing us a song tonight. Well, we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feeling all right."_

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**TaDa! Hope you liked it; sorry it took me forever to get it out. I'm working as fast as I can. I have three presentations for uni due this month so I'm busy working on those as well.**


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